By Christopher Lidom
KUCHING, March 1: A total of 64 Sarawakians have been rescued out of a total of 83 reported to have fallen victim to international job scams from the year 2021 until Feb 23, 2024.
Federal CID deputy director Deputy Comm Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) had received 54 reports regarding the matter involving Sarawakians comprising 70 males and 13 females.
“Nineteen of the victims are still stranded in their country of destination.
“As such, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) is working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and foreign enforcement agencies such as Aseanapol and Interpol to locate and rescue the stranded victims,” he told a press conference held at Raia Hotel today.
Rusdi said, based on statistics, the top countries where the victims are taken to are Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos, including Dubai and the Philippines.
“According to empirical data study conducted by the police, 73 per cent of them work as scammers, 12 per cent as public relations officers, eight per cent work in casinos, while seven per cent work as cooks and many others,” he added.
Rusdi pointed out that two factors influence the victims: the ‘Pull Factor’, where they are promised a high salary, including accommodation, and the ‘Push Factor’, when the victim loses their source of income and is desperate.
He said that based on the current trend, the victims are influenced and deceived by advertisements for job offers on social media sites such as Facebook.
He also said that originally, the victims were offered jobs as customer service officers at investment companies or licensed casinos; some were even offered jobs at resorts.
“When they arrive at the destination country, they have been forced to work as scammers, which is to deceive people online for non-existent investments and also love scams, including several jobs such as interpreters, marketing officers, and many others,” he added. — DayakDaily
